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Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act, 2010 (Act No. 2 of 2010)

Chapter 2 : Ensuring Responsibility for Safety and Security at Events

4. Responsibility for safety and security at events

 

(1) A controlling body, an event organiser, or a stadium or venue owner, as the case may be, must put in place such measures as may be prescribed to ensure the physical safety and security of persons and their property at an event.

 

(2) A person referred to in subsection (1) must cooperate with and assist the event safety and security planning committee and the VOC commander in the performance of their functions under this Act.

 

(3) The National Commissioner
(a) may direct a person referred to in subsection (1) to implement such additional measures as may, in the opinion of the National Commissioner, be necessary to further the objects of this Act;
(b) must establish an event safety and security planning committee for each event contemplated in section 6 and categorised as either a medium-risk or high-risk event or any other event whether or not such event is in compliance with the provisions of this Act;
(c) must appoint a VOC commander as contemplated in section 17;
(d) may prohibit the sale of event tickets at a stadium or venue on the day of an event;
(e) may stipulate conditions to be included in a high-risk event safety certificate as contemplated in section 11 (2);
(f) may amend or replace a safety certificate as contemplated in section 13;
(g) may prohibit or restrict the admission of a person or group of persons to a stadium or venue or route by issuing a prohibition notice referred to in section 21; and
(h) may issue a spectator exclusion notice referred to in section 22 with regard to an undesirable spectator.

 

(4) A person referred to in subsection (1) must appoint—
(a) sufficient persons to be responsible for safety and security at an event, including an event safety officer, security officers or such other persons as may be prescribed;
(b) stewards responsible for—
(i) the marshalling and overseeing of the safe general flow of spectators;
(ii) the provision of event information, including safety and security information to spectators;
(iii) the provision of ushering services; and
(iv) the provision of assistance with emergency evacuation procedures to persons within a stadium or venue and its precincts.

 

(5) The persons appointed under subsection (4) must—
(a) be present at an event; and
(b) take such steps as may be reasonably necessary for the safeguarding of an event as well as for the protection of the people and the property at an event.

 

(6) A person referred to in subsection (1) may appoint volunteers to supervise arrangements or provide any function or service in support of an event.

 

(7) A person appointed under subsection (4)(b) or (6) may not provide security services unless such a person is registered as a security officer.

 

(8) An event organiser, where such person is a natural person, must—
(a) in respect of a medium-risk or high-risk event—
(i) be at least 21 years of age; and
(ii) have the necessary capacity, resources and event-related experience to organise the event, and
(b) in respect of a low-risk event be at least 21 years of age.

 

(9) An event organiser must, for every event categorised as low-risk, ensure that—
(a) a safety officer is appointed for that event;
(b) a written safety plan is prepared detailing event
(i) safety measures;
(ii) security measures;
(iii) crowd management measures;
(iv) motor vehicle parking arrangements;
(v) emergency medical measures, including participant medical measures as contemplated in the National Health Act;
(c) measures contemplated in paragraph (a) and in the safety plan contemplated in paragraph (b) are put in place; and
(d) ensure that the local police station is informed, prior to the event, of the event details.

 

(10) The safety plan referred to in subsection (9) must include the—
(a) event risk assessment;
(b) event details including duration;
(c) stadium, venue or route design, safe capacity and compliance with other relevant safety certification;
(d) spectator profile and expected spectator attendance;
(e) control of event service providers;
(f) availability of ablution facilities, refuse removal, water and lighting at the event;
(g) control of liquor;
(h) proactive and reactive fire measures;
(i) emergency medical measures;
(j) access and egress control;
(k) safety information announcements; and
(l) emergency evacuation procedures detailing action to be taken by designated persons in the event of a major incident.